The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced today that the Lisbon Portugal Temple groundbreaking will take place on December 5, 2015, at 12:00 noon. The temple site is located at Avenida Dom João II, 1990-364 Moscavide, Lisboa. Attendance at this ceremony is by invitation only, with the general public invited to view the proceedings live from local meetinghouses.
The Lisbon Portugal Temple will be the Church’s first temple in the country, joining 13 others across Europe. President Thomas S. Monson announced the Lisbon Portugal Temple in the October 2010 general conference. The Church currently has 148 operating temples worldwide.
Latter-day Saint temples differ from the meetinghouses or chapels where members meet for Sunday worship services. A temple is considered a “house of the Lord” where Christ’s teachings are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ordinances that unite families for eternity. Inside, members learn more about the purpose of life and make covenants to serve Jesus Christ and their fellow man.